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'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia' [643v] (1288/1386)
The record is made up of 1 file (692 folios). It was created in c 1880-1891. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
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24
Inclosure 2 in No. 40.
Captain Clayton to Major Trotter.
Sir Van, October 5,1880.
AS the autumn advances the depredations and plunderings of the Kurds are
becoming very numerous. Hardly a day passes without some fresh occurrence being
reported.
On the 29th September the priest of the Armenian village of — , m Nurduz,
with another man, came to me and reported that a day or two previously their village
had been attacked by 120 Mamkhoran Kurds, who tried to carry off their flocks. The
villagers resisted, however; five Kurds were killed, and several wounded on both
sides, and the Kurds had to retire. The villagers were, however, afraid that the
Kurds would return in larger numbers and take their revenge, and begged me to try
and get the authorities to send some troops for their protection.
I accordingly saw the authorities next morning, and Samih
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
promised to
send some cavalry. Up to the present time, however, none have gone, but I have
this evening received a note from the Mouavin, saying that a party is to start to-night.
The Turks, however, do not look with any favour on this unusual hardihood of the
Armenians in showing fight.
The day before yesterday, again, a caravan was attacked on the Khotour road
within five hours of Van. Some thirty loads were carried off and several persons
wounded. Reports also reach me of robberies in Arjesh and El Jivas, where the Vali
is at present. It is said that he refuses to listen to any complaints, saying that he
has not come to punish the Kurds but to organize the communes. It is also said that
he has distributed arms to the Kurds near Arjesh to enable them to resist the raids
of tribes from the Persian frontier, and, when it was urged to him that the Kurds
would probably use these arms against the Christians to plunder them, said there was
no danger. An impartial observer cannot but think there is danger, seeing what is
going on elsewhere.
Reports from Hakkiari indicate that there is almost complete anarchy there.
Kurds, especially the Shikaks, are overrunning the whole country, and the
Government seems to be powerless. One of the principal Turks here, the President of
the Civil Court, said to me the day before yesterday, “I do not know if you are
intending to make an excursion in any direction at present, but I advise you not to
go to Hakkiari; the condition of things there is not good. Before, many untrue
stories were told about robbery, but now it is true.” The reason the Kurds are so
active at present is that the harvest is just over, and they are collecting their pro
visions for the winter.
To add to the general insecurity, the zaptiehs here struck yesterday. Being
ordered to proceed to certain places to make arrests or keep order, they refused to go,
saying they had received neither pay nor rations for forty or fifty months. In fact,
the whole Government is paralyzed for want of money. I saw Samih
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
to-day,
and urged him to take some measures to restrain the Kurdish depredations. He
replied, “ I do what I can, but what can I do ? We have no money ; you know the
zaptiehs have refused to act, and I have no money to move regular troops.” The
revenue is diminished on account of the results of the famine, and what does come in
is swallowed up by hungry and corrupt officials and the peremptory demands for
money from Constantinople, so that none is left for the payment of the subordinate
employes, troops, or zaptiehs, and the whole Government and administration is at a
standstill. The condition of things is most lamentable.
I have, &c.
(Signed) EMILIUS CLAYTON.
No. 41.
Earl Granville to Mr. Plunkett.
Sir, Foreign Office, November 16, 1880.
IN a despatch from M. de Giers to the Russian Ambassador, reference was made
to the request of the Shah for Russian assistance to quell the Kurdish rising, in
conformity with the information on this subject which you have already communicated
to me.
About this item
- Content
This file consists of letters, notes, and printed material on Persia compiled by George Curzon in the course of conducting research prior to the writing of his book: Persia and the Persian Question . The papers' contents and type vary considerably, but consists primarily of handwritten notes, some of which are organised roughly for individual chapters of the book. The rest of the file includes newspaper clippings, official reports, printed maps, and other published material on the history and geography of Persia. The official government reports are primarily government of India balance of trade reports, while published material consisted mainly of academic and non-academic papers on Persian archaeology by members of the Scottish Geographical Magazine and the history of the telegraph published by the Indo-European Telegraph Department.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (692 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 692; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
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- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- Mss Eur F112/611
- Title
- 'Lord Curzon's Notes on Persia'
- Pages
- 2av, 7r:7v, 22r:22v, 27r:27v, 36r:37v, 288r:288v, 291r:380v, 467r:467v, 470r:470v, 505r:575v, 584r:584v, 600r:692v
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence